Father Says Rape of Daughter in School Bathroom Led to Inclusion on School Board’s ‘Domestic Terrorism’ Letter

A crowd is seen at a Loudoun County School Board meeting in Ashburn, Va., on June 22, 2021. Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

A Virginia father says his daughter was sexually assaulted by a male student at school earlier this year, setting off a series of events that saw his outburst at a school board meeting included in a controversial letter that compared some parents to domestic terrorists.

Scott Smith’s daughter, 15, is a freshman at Stone Bridge High School in Loudoun County. On May 28, Smith says, a boy raped her in a bathroom at the school.

Smith told The Daily Wire he was called and told there had been a physical altercation. When he arrived, he learned that there had actually been a sexual assault. Smith said he became furious. Loudoun County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene.

Smith avoided arrest and he and the family’s lawyer say a rape kit and other tests showed a sexual assault had occurred.

A spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office told The Epoch Times via email she could confirm that an incident on May 28 is still being investigated. No documents can be provided because the case is pending, she said.

The same boy allegedly, after transferring to another school, was charged with sexual battery after being accused of inappropriately touching a 15-year-old in Ashburn. The sheriff’s office declined to confirm whether it’s the same male.

Juvenile records aren’t publicly available. Smith’s attorney, Elizabeth Lancaster, told the Wire that the boy was charged with multiple counts, including forcible sodomy. Lancaster didn’t return a request for comment.

Smith’s saga continued when he and his wife attended their first school board meeting on June 22, where a discussion on a proposal to protect transgender students was set to be discussed.

“My wife and I are gay- and lesbian-friendly,” Smith told the Wire. “We’re not into this children transgender stuff. The person that attacked our daughter is apparently bisexual and occasionally wears dresses because he likes them. So this kid is technically not what the school board was fighting about. The point is kids are using it as an advantage to get into the bathrooms.”

During the meeting, Beth Barts, a school board member, asked if there were assaults happening in bathrooms or locker rooms—a key concern for opponents of letting biological males in girl’s facilities.

“To my knowledge, we don’t have any record of assaults occurring in our restrooms,“ Superintendent Scott Ziegler said, adding later that ”the predator transgender student or person simply does not exist.”

Smith said he was accosted by an activist who insisted his daughter was not assaulted. An officer came over because of the tense situation.

Scott Smith and his wife are seen in an undated photograph. Safe Schools Legal Fund/GoFundMe

“The next thing I know, I’m getting touched from all over the place. I didn’t know who was touching me, who was grabbing me. I turn around, the police are grabbing me and next thing I know, I’m tackled to the ground. I’m just shocked and horrified,” he said on Fox News on Tuesday.

The arrest was widely reported and was cited by the National School Boards Association in its recent letter to President Joe Biden urging him to take action to combat incidents the board likened to domestic terrorism.

Several days later, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced federal officials would be targeting people who harass, intimidate, or threaten school board members and others who work with or at public schools.

A Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) spokesman told The Epoch Times in an email that it is aware of reports concerning the alleged sexual assaults at two high schools in the district and declined to provide details. However, the district said the sheriff’s office was contacted within minutes of the earlier assault.

“Once a matter has been reported to law enforcement, LCPS does not begin its investigation until law enforcement advises LCPS that it has completed the criminal investigation. To maintain the integrity of the criminal investigation, law enforcement requested that LCPS not interview students until their investigation is concluded,” the spokesman said.

“LCPS has cooperated and continues to cooperate with law enforcement. Furthermore, LCPS is prohibited from disciplining any student without following the Title IX grievance process, which includes investigating complaints of sexual harassment and sexual assault. LCPS does impose interim measures to protect the safety of students involved in the original incident, deter retaliation, and preserve the integrity of the investigation and resolution process. LCPS has complied and continues to comply with its obligations under Title IX,” it added.

The district also said that members of the school board were not aware of the assaults until this week.

The board approved the transgender-friendly policy in August.